Location: Grand Haven, Michigan by way of a little Mississippi River town in Louisiana

Posts: 3,057

Re: Are the Saints...Soft?

Originally Posted by Jamessr

Even though our defense put us in a a postin to win yesterday they don't exactly strike fear into people.
The defense needs to get hardcore IMO

I could not agree more. A few more players to get though!! Spags, might be just the man to give us this but next season. Our D looked good with the line-up we had, Spags still don't have what he needs yet,but when he does we may put fear on other teams, Bunkely and Lofton were excellent pick ups build around them. Hicks has great upside. Draft could= fear on D.

Saying the Saints looked "soft" against the 49ers is kinda like saying they looked "slow" against Hussein Bolt or that the levees looked "thin" against Katrina.... The 49ers are the most physical and violent team in the league right now, perhaps even among the top "most physical defenses" of all time; they're like a throwback to 30-40 years ago.... Last year they injured six running backs in a row in their first six games, they took out Pierre Thomas in ours and I believe they knocked out two starting QB's for other teams during the season last year, as well.

Having said that, there is a reason for "bring the wood" and the bats and the slogans....the Saints DO tend to get "punched in the mouth" by that kind of physical play -- the Browns game was a good example of them being knocked on their ass -- and it doesn't help that our quarterback is 4'10" and he tends to get skittish and inaccurate when he has big ugly guys picking him up and slamming his body into the turf on top of his surgically reconstructed shoulder all the time. Or that our dreadlocked running back fumbles and gets injured half the time he's in the game, or Colston gets laid out on the clothesline to get his head banged like a gong two or three times a game, Graham with his back spasms, the year they had 5 or 6 Saints running backs on injured reserve, etc etc.

The Dome Patrol was 25 years ago folks. I'm sorry, but I would take the current total team model that we have now (Super Bowl, 2x NFC Championship Game appearances, 5-3 in playoffs overall) over ANY 7-9. 9-7 record Dome Patrol era team. If you want the Saints to have a big physically dominating defense, then you are probably going to be waiting a long time -- until Brees, Payton, Benson, Evans, Graham, Colston etc are gone...2020 maybe?

You want your team to look like the 49ers or Texans defense? Then remember that those teams sucked along at 4-12, 8-8. 7-9 type seasons, for many many MANY years to stockpile those high draft picks and build that talent they have on D now. They didn't build that awesome defense by being the most winningest team in the NFC with the most regular season wins over the last 7 years. They just didn't....You want to be the Ravens or Niners defense, then meet Joe Flacco or Alex Smith, your new QB.